Bear Crashes Middle School Graduation Ceremony

A wayward 150-pound black bear caused a major commotion last Thursday when it disrupted a graduation ceremony at a middle school in Bakersfield, CA. Hey, what’s the big deal? Maybe it just wanted a diploma.

The bear first hopped a fence at Ramon Garza Elementary School and sent students outside running for cover. Then, it proceeded to adjacent Sierra Middle School and surprised parents and students gathered for a graduation ceremony.

Fortunately, the animal kept its distance and no one was injured. Animal control officers later cornered the bear in a storage closet in a nearby apartment complex and captured it with the help of snare poles and a taser. It was released back into the wild an hour-and-a-half outside of Bakersfield.

According to animal control officers, it’s rare that bears venture that far inside a major city. One animal control officer said it’s possible that the animal may have ridden a train to its destination. So watch out for bears the next time you hop a commuter rail.